Trump assures Putin-Zelensky meeting ‘is going to happen’
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will happen, though he did not specify when. The Kremlin insists such a summit should only occur to finalize a peace agreement.
When asked about the possibility of a meeting, potentially with Trump present, the former president said, “It’s going to happen, but it should have happened three months ago.” Trump has been advocating for a resolution to the conflict since taking office and recently warned of imposing harsh secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners if a deal isn’t reached by early September.
Moscow says it remains open to diplomacy but emphasizes addressing the conflict’s root causes and Russia’s security demands. These include Ukraine’s neutrality, recognition of current territorial realities, demilitarization, and “denazification.”
Zelensky has repeatedly called for direct talks with Putin, and Ukrainian negotiators reiterated this during recent discussions in Istanbul, viewing a summit as vital to ending the war. While the Kremlin hasn’t dismissed the idea, it stresses that preparatory progress at the working level is necessary first. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the leaders can only meet after substantial groundwork, calling it “impossible” to do otherwise.
Russia has also questioned Zelensky’s legal legitimacy since his presidential term expired in May 2024, with no new elections scheduled due to martial law. Russian officials warn that any agreements signed by Zelensky could face legal challenges later. Putin stated last month he would consider meeting Zelensky only at the final negotiation stage. Furthermore, Russia demands that Ukraine lift martial law and hold elections within 100 days as part of any permanent ceasefire arrangement.
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